Shadow Creature: Sacrifice
by Insanity 101
Summary: Robin made a choice, whether he remembers it or not. That choice will impact, not just himself, but an entire universe. Sequel to Shadow Creature: Possession, if you couldn't tell. RaeXRob. Resumed!
1. Memory Lane

_Well look who's back. I could hardly leave you hanging with so many questions, now could I? Not even I am that cruel. Yes this is indeed the next installment of Shadow Creature, and I hope you will enjoy it...though I think I should warn you that, like the first, it will most likely be dark and distressing. If you like that sort of thing then, by all means, read on._

_One more thing. If you want to understand anything that happens in this story, I highly suggest you go read Shadow Creature: Possession. If you like to be confused...well then, don't read it.

* * *

_

_He felt his finger tighten around the trigger, gun hand leveled at Raven's chest. An earsplitting crack shattered the silence, ringing in his ears...all too real. Her body jerked with the impact of the speeding bullet, then she fell, the ability to fly leaving her..._

Robin turned over in bed, blankets twisted around his legs, eyebrows drawn together and a frown tugging at the corners of his lips.

_"R-Robin...stop..."_

_Eyes...black, deep coal-black eyes..._

_"To be quite honest, I pity you, Rob. That must hurt like hell, eh?"_

He whimpered, jerking violently as one hand snatched blindly at the covers...Pain entirely seperate from the dream made him cry out, almost waking.

_"You can't leave, Robin, not now...I love you! Stay with me!"_

_Raven..._

_"You are dying, young warrior... Your life will be...temporary. ...save yourself a great deal of suffering... But without you, ...pay the utmost. ...Raven."_

_A woman, gorgeous, beautiful, ageless...who was she?_

_A blade, gleaming red in the darkness, swung down on his head and cut straight through it. He was bleeding, dying, as four crimson eyes grinned at him from the shadows--_

"NO!"

Robin sat bolt-upright, eyes wide and chest heaving as cold sweat ran down his face and his head throbbed blindingly. His room was still dark...a glance at the alarm clock revealed that it was still very early.

Realizing that the vision was only a dream failed to calm his wildly beating heart or sooth his racing mind. It was always just a dream...

For the past few weeks, he had been plagued with nightmares, one or two at first but increasingly frequent as time wore on. Not only that, but lately he seemed to be having the same nightmare...while he was awake. These...whatever's were always followed by blinding headaches, and he could never actually remember what he had dreamed, no matter how hard he tried.

It was disturbing, to say the least. Taking a long drink from the water bottle on his nightstand, he thought it all over in his head despite the aching and came to a much-needed conclusion: it was time to get an outsider's opinion.

And who better to ask about this sort of thing than the tower's resident empath?

But the problem was, Raven was a whole new can of worms. She was acting strange...well, more strange than was usual for her, and all of it seemed to be in relation to him. Her explanation for what had happened with Slade was shaky and full of holes, and she seemed uneasy while telling it. Ever since then, things seemed...strained between him and the rest of the team. He frequently caught them darting strange glances at him, full of an emotion he interpreted as concern, though he couldn't see what called for it. Starfire and Beast Boy acted almost afraid of him, making excuses to dash off whenever they were alone in the room together. Cyborg would jump in front of an enemy and finish him off, just to keep Robin from fighting. Things were different, but he had no idea why.

Raven was, quite possibly, the most confusing out of all of them. The way she percieved him had changed entirely, that much he knew, but when it came to how it had changed, he was at a loss. She sought out his company, asked his opinion on things, _laughed_ at his ocassional joke...but strangest of all, she seemed... Protective was the only word for it. Ravn felt the need to protect him, but why? Surely their arguement about Slade hadn't shaken her that badly. But then...what had?

There was only one way to find out. He had put it off long enough. It was time to talk to Raven.

* * *

_Raven watched the bird apprehensively, wary of the red-eyed crows that so often appeared in this place, but the closer she looked the more she realized that it was nothing like them. With a smile, she recognized it; a little robin, completely out of place amid the rock and stone of Nevermore. She watched it sympathetically as it hopped about on the cold ground, chirping in distress as it met with the same hardness in every direction. The robin grew more and more frantic as the minutes passed by, and Raven frowned deeply, kneeling beside it and whispering words of comfort. Tiny black eyes looked straight at her, and she felt her stomach lurch in a not entirely unpleasant way as she held its gaze. Giving one last hop, the robin brought its beak down hard on the stone, making a light tapping noise as it pecked vainly, perhaps digging for a worm. "Don't do that," whispered Raven. "You'll hurt yourself." The robin was persistant, however, and the tapping grew louder as it perservered in its pointless mission..._

Tap, tap, tap...

Raven's eyes opened slowly, but the tapping didn't fade away.

"Raven?"

The whisper was almost inaudible, traveling through the metal door and all the way over to her bed in the silence. Yawning slightly, Raven swung her legs out of bed and slipped her cloak around her shoulders. A quick glance at the clock revealed the time: 5:32 AM. Why would Robin be visiting her this early? Dreading the worst, Raven drifted to the door and let it slide open.

"Um...hi." Robin smiled sheepishly, adding to what could only be called a comical appearance. His hair was somewhat poufy and matted, the spikes breaking free of gel's confining hold and poking up in any and every direction they pleased. He was wearing a bright red shirt that said "I had superpowers once, but my therapists took them away" over his green uniform pants, his feet covered in fuzzy red slippers, his mask askew. When you calculated that goofy grin into the equation, it was hard not to laugh.

Following her eyes, which were, at the moment, admiring his foot gear, Robin laughed nervously. "Guess I could have got dressed first..."

Choking slightly on surpressed laughter, Raven replied, "Not at all. Come in."

Robin sighed in relief, shuffling through the door as it slid closed, leaving them in darkness. A match struck itself, and before long several candles were lit and hovering in the air, giving the room an eerie glow. "So...I'm guessing you're wondering what the heck is going on?"

Robin blinked in momentary shock. "Well...yeah. Why is everyone acting so weird around me? Why are _you_ acting weird around me? What...what happened between us?" His eyes widened, somewhat surprised that he had been bold enough to ask that last question. Not waiting for an answer, he rushed blindly onward. "I keep having these nightmares, only they aren't nightmares because sometimes I even have them when I'm awake, but I can't remember what they are and when I try my head hurts and..." He fell silent, breathing hard and staring at Raven as her face glowed softly in the candlelight. "What's happening, Raven? I don't understand, I have this weird feeling like I should, but..." he waved a hand in the air above his head, "nothing."

Raven remained completely silent, eyes fixed thoughtfully on his face as she replayed his words over and over again in her mind. Nightmares that weren't nightmares...he was remembering; she was almost certain of it. His confusion and exasperation was only to be expected. Perhaps a weaker mind could accept the absence of a large chunk of their life, but not Robin. He would fight tooth and nail until all the puzzle pieces were layed out in their proper order and location. It was the detective in him.

"I think it's high time that I tell you something, and when I'm through, if you can swallow your skepticism, you will have the answers to your questions. I ask merely that you keep quiet until I'm finished. Interruptions will only make this more difficult."

* * *

_So how was that for a first chapter? Yes it's a little short, but give me a break, this is the prologue after all. Review and let me know what you think...the next chapter should be up quite soon if you guys like this. -Dusty_


	2. Clueing in the Clueless

_-sigh- If you want to know why this chapter took so long, go read Poetry and Redemption. I have not just been sitting on my fat lazy butt, you know. :P Oh my goodness I love this song! White Houses, Vanessa Carlton...not saying it has anything to do with anything, but it just came on the radio so I get to be happy now. ...Yeah, I know its not really my thing but..hey, what would you know about what's my thing anyway? Ok, done rambling._

_jambey: Hmm...Redemption came darn close to doing that, so I'll do my best not to let this story do the same...but what if that's the only way to make it good? -sigh- Yeah, she did...the end of the last story implied that. I know how that is believe me. _

_CelticHeiressFiona: The Great Dusty? -blush- You flatter me...go on. LOL. _

_Mina: LOL thanks, I figured the fic needed some comic relief. Yes, I hate it...and when you walk into a room and you just know the people just stopped talking about you. Good, I know you'll like them...well at least I'm pretty sure you will. I have something of a crush on Artemis -blush- No, it's not a problem...you can say whatever you want in reviews. Thanks!_

_strwbrrydaquiri: No, no you shan't. _

_Umbro Draco: LOL yes, yes you did. Hmm...the realistic bit might fly out the window pretty soon lol. Oh yes, so awesome -drools- I'm lost in your awesomeness, Shadow. LOL! You have those too eh? Yeah...try having Larry, Jack Sparrow, and Batty (Fern Gully...you prolly haven't seen it) having a party in your noggin. Yes, I did, and that's with desperately suppressing the sequel to Broken (which, I am fairly sure, will be called Catalyst), plus any new ideas I've gotten. Hmm...I think I just might be almost as surprised as you when it comes to that lol._

_Neko: Thanks!_

_Mystyre: -cringes- I...I don't know. If I'd been using my brain, I would have put this off and wrote Catalyst (oh..that's what I'm calling it by the way) first, but since when does my brain work? I don't want to give myself brain damage, so the sequel will have to wait. You should know by now that I'm a pathalogical liar. No...-sigh- I don't have it, but I saw it in Hot Topic once and found it immensely funny and miraculously like Robin, so there you have it. Yup, it's the poor fellow's fate. Thanks._

_superman35405: Thanks...-points to opening message-_

_you-know-who: Little? ...Only compared to some. I'm afraid you don't know squat about my stories or me. Let's discuss profanity instead. _

_Scarredbyshallowness: Why thank you. Welcome back Scarred...er...you need a nickname. Thank you, and yes I saw them they were awesome in every sense of the word. Thanks!_

_ACrazyTeenager2005: No, I think that's right. I'll do my best._

_YoukaiTenshi: -pts to opening message-_

_Dark Dragon34: Thanks!_

_Reggie Tuesday: Hurray! Yes, he certainly is. Hehe, no pressure, eh? Hmm...small, sparsely populated town. You? _

_Child of Blood: Only right now? LOL j/k, thanks. Yes, I did._

_ChErRyBlOsSoM-FlOwErOfDeAtH: Oh my goodness your name is a beast to type. Thanks._

_Dark Princesses: Finish? -pales- That won't be happening for a while, at least. Don't die, you need to update your fic -wink- Thanks!_

_BranwenAisling: Yes indeed, and thank you! I'm glad...I was worried people would be rolling their eyes with that bit. Thanks, I think I liked that bit best aside from Raven's dream/vision. LOL you might could find it in Hot Topic, that's where I originally discovered the quote. Thanks!_

_If you haven't already, please please go read SC:P! I'm not going to explain, so confusion is inevitable if you don't read it. I don't want you to be confused...and I don't want you to harass me because you are confused, so this is your last warning! Shut up and read then.

* * *

_

Raven stared at Robin, and Robin stared back. By the look on his face, he was taking this just like she thought he would.

"That's...that's funny, Raven. I never knew you were into jokes." He laughed, somewhat squeakily, one hand traveling slowly to his head in a bewildered fashion.

Raven saw the warning signs and caught his arm before he could tumble backwards off the bed. Reaching for the water bottle on her nightstand, Raven poured a little into her hands and splashed it on his face. He spluttered, eyes widening as the cold water trickled down the back of his neck.

Making sure he was steady, Raven spoke slowly and carefully. "I am not joking, Robin. Everything I have told you is the absolute truth."

"But..." He rubbed his eyes furiously, then tugged his crazed hair. "It can't be! You're telling me that I was...possessed by some freak named...named--"

"Venton."

Robin instantly quieted, shocked into silence by the hatred Raven forced into that small, insignificant word. Just a word...just a name...nothing more. Right?

_"If I had friends, they would call me Venton."_

_Black..._

"Robin?"

His vision cleared ever-so-slightly, but the pain did not diminish. Holding his head in a vain attempt to stop the pounding, Robin barely had time to breathe before he was engulfed by another memory.

_"Fine. More than...break...wings." _

_A dimly lit room..._

"Robin!"

_She trembled, blood pouring from her chest as she stared up at him, eyes glazed with pain. "Why?" she choked. _

_"...Because it was fun."_

"No! NONONO!"

_A sneer curled around his lips. "Goodbye, Raven." He pulled the trigger--_

Robin screamed, yelled louder than ever before, twisting and writhing in agony. It was no longer just his head, it was his entire body, burning and stabbing pains erasing everything--including the "nightmare". A minute (or an eternity) later, he realized that someone was shaking him and vaguely heard her calling his name...

"Robin!" Purple swam before his eyes, slowly solidifying into the moon-pale face of Raven. She gently took his arms and pulled him into a sitting position, subconsciously brushing what could have been sweat (hopefully), or tears (please, please no) from his cheek. "Are you all right?"

"Nightmare." Robin stared intensely at the ground, examining each fiber of her black carpet individually. "No, a...a memory. This...this one was...worse." His gaze snapped onto Raven without warning, face blank but fear radiating from him. "I believe you, Raven."

She stared solemnly at him for a moment, then offered the water bottle wordlessly. As he downed it, her eyes never left his face, drinking in every feature. She hadn't felt able to for a while now.

Clearing her throat to get his attention, Raven broke the silence. "There is one question that I haven't answered yet, but...I think you'll have an even harder time believing this one."

* * *

Venton scowled, shoulders slumped and fists clenched as he kicked the ash-ridden ground viciously with every other step. There was every indication that he was in a very foul mood.

"Stupid little weakling," he muttered, glaring at the crumbling yet ominous tower before him. Insulting the "weakling" seemed to cheer him slightly, as his thin black eyebrows ceased to merge in the center of his forehead. All the same, those ebony eyes were just as fierce as ever.

It wasn't long before he strode up the stone steps, dodging cracks and loose chunks with the ease of familiarity, though his steps were becoming increasingly hesitant. Reaching the top and standing before a gaping black opening, Venton jerked a pale, long-fingered hand through his choppy hair. It was clear that he did not want to go in. Too bad that, at this point, what he wanted didn't matter.

The crumbling flights of stone stairs seemed to go on forever, twisting ever upward, and yet Venton kept his cool, unaffected by the dizzying height and precarious footing. His mind was on a far more dangerous subject.

Unexpectedly, the staircase reached a large, flat platform, suspended in mid-air, unsupported in the black abyss. It stretched on with no visible end, like a gray, cracked ocean.

Venton strode forward determinedly for several minutes, back straight and eyes fixed on a destination that, at first, only he could see. All too soon, however, his mission became unavoidably clear.

An enormous throne, composed of rough slabs of gray rock, towered over Venton's head, an even larger demon occupying its spacious seat. His skin was blood-red, his hair, snow-white, four yellow eyes glaring from beneath a pair of extremely out-of-place antlers. Out-of-place or not, they only added to his...intimidating aura.

"I cannot hide my surprise, Hezbarath. I did not expect to see your cowering face again, considering recent events."

Venton's jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists, but he controlled himself...with difficulty.

"Your failure was nothing short of abominable, Slave. I pit your demonic strength against an insignificant _mortal_, and _you_ come back _empty-handed!_" Trigon's hand shot out, snatching Venton as though he were a particularly annoying insect. His servant suppressed a groan as he squeezed, long, yellowing claws pricking Venton's flesh. "You dare show your face, _weakling_, when you failed to accomplish your mission? I doubt anything could prolong your worthless life now, Hezbarath." Trigon leered down at him, claws digging into his chest as he choked for air. Giving him a "small" shake, the demon demanded a response.

"That...Trinadon...wench--" Venton gasped, wincing slightly as his chest was slowly crushed. "Not...my...fault..."

"Trinadon?" Trigon looked slightly surprised at this, though he did not loosen his grip.

"Can...finish...her...Chance..." Venton's black eyes shot open to their full extent, his face steadily turning purple. "One...more...chance..."

Trigon smirked, considering Venton condescendingly as he crushed his existence in his unforgiving fist. When he was doubtful that the slave could take any more, he released him, letting him tumble through the air to fall with a thud at the foot of his throne. "One more chance? You can finish her?" Trigon settled back in his oversized armchair, already beginning to forget the slave's presence. "For your sake, Hezbarath, you had better. Get out of my sight."

An invisible hand swept Venton's crumpled form backwards several feet until the throne was completely out of sight. The demon eventually struggled to his feet, every breath burning in his lungs as black blood oozed from his body. Wounds inflicted by his Master could only be healed by his Master; regeneration would do him no good. He knew from experience that the injuries would vanish as Trigon's wrath diminished...which would most likely not be happening any time soon.

Calling his Master various and creatively obscene names in his mind (but not too loudly, so as not to attract his attention), Venton limped towards the stairs, cringing at the thought of the long and agonizing journey out of Trigon's domain.

* * *

Robin was, once again, stunned and speechless, but this time, his face was bright red instead of ghostly white.

"You...you mean...?"

"Yes."

"And you...?"

"Yes, Robin."

"And...and we...?"

"Again, yes."

Red as a fire engine, Robin staggered to his feet, then plopped back down, then dropped his head into his gloveless hands. A small and muffled "wow" drifted to Raven's ears as she, too, fought back a blush.

"Yes, miraculous, isn't it?" she snapped, levitating over to her dresser and busily stacking and restacking a pile of spellbooks. That discussion ranked quite high on her list of Most Embarassing Moments, just under being in Starfire's body.

Robin's head was spinning, and not just from the recent trip down memory lane. He wasn't sure if he should feel humiliated or ecstatic. He had finally gotten the nerve to tell Raven how he felt, only to find out that she returned these feelings. This sounded far too much like one of those embarassing dreams (which he had never had, of course. -cough cough-) to be true. Well...he could think of one extremely dangerous way to find out.

Walking slowly and quietly, Robin crept up behind her. "Raven?" He'd have to do this fast, before he lost his nerve.

She turned around, gazing at him questioningly. "What?"

...The kiss was gentle, if a little clumsy, lasting long enough for her to return it, long enough for their senses to blend together, minds seamlessly melded...

Robin pulled back gently, searching her face and hoping that it hadn't been too horrible for her. He may have said this before, but...he needed to say it again. "I love you."

Raven looked down, attempting to hide the blush lighting up her pale cheeks. _I know. And no, it wasn't horrible. And Robin...? _She looked up, smiling ever-so-slightly. It was good to have him back. _I love you too.

* * *

_

_Yeah, sappy ending. But hey, it wasn't a cliffhanger! MUAHAHA! Oh, Trigon called him Hezbarath, because you know how his mantra is Imnar Hezbarath Sae and Missy's is Kaelin Trinadon Zaria? Well...the middle word in their mantra is their "last name" as we would call it. It's just how it works. See why you need to read Possession, people? I'll try to update sooner this time. -Dusty_


	3. Search for Answers

_Um…I honestly can't believe I'm doing this, but yes, I'm updating Shadow Creature. Shocker, ain't it? As for the horrendous wait, well…I plead writer's block of the most vicious and severe kind. I was also supremely distracted with Dark Corners and Catalyst, which I'm not updating right now because I'm experiencing writer's block for them as well (mostly Dark Corners). Anyway, enough rambling. A huge thanks to dlsky; your review was immensely encouraging, I'm glad somebody appreciated the depth of the concept._

_A warning before we continue: I'm still not positive where I'm going with this, so please forgive if there's a long wait or it gets postponed again. I was honestly on the point of deleting it tonight but then inspiration knocked; where was it before? Who knows. Shut up and read.

* * *

_

No sooner had they broken apart then Raven grabbed his hand, half-pulling, half-levitating him to the door. Her face was suddenly serious, almost stern, as apposed to the sweet smile that had graced her pale lips barely moments before.

"Wha—Hey! Where are we—?" Robin stuttered, eyes wide in surprise and somewhat afraid of what Raven was going to do to him now.

"We need answers, you especially," droned Raven, apparently unaware of the vagueness of her explanation as they zipped down the silent hallway of Titan's tower.

Robin was, if possible, even more bewildered. "At five o'clock in the morning? Raven, what—"

Raven gave his hand an impatient tug as she approached the huge bay window, gathering speed. "Hospitals never sleep."

With that, she gripped his hand tightly and phased through the wall, leaving Titan's tower as silent and undisturbed as any home would be at such hours.

* * *

Bane glanced up in interest as the newcomer arrived. Seeing the dark hair and dark expression, however, she merely smirked and returned to her book. She couldn't resist a taunt, all the same. "I presume you approached him after all?"

Venton's glare was fierce, but it had no effect on the red-haired woman. "Brilliant observation, you really do get smarter by the day, don't you."

Her smirk grew slightly as she put down her book, crossing the stone floor to get a better look at him. Their relationship was an interesting one, to say the least. They had been friends in the days before the split, completely inseparable in everything they did. After the split, well…they were merely pawns on the same side of the chessboard. Not generally a situation that encouraged any kinship.

Allowing her eyes to linger on his chest, the tiniest of frowns tugged her ruby red lips. "He wasn't pleased." It was a statement, not a question. Lifting her eyes slightly, she gazed at him from beneath dark lashes. Most people flinched away from her crimson stare, but not Venton.

He grimaced at her, his black eyes taking on a steely glint. "No. No, he wasn't."

Silence reigned for a moment, both simply staring at each other, the one bitter, the other thoughtful. Venton at last broke the silence, as Bane knew he eventually would. "Even so, he gave me one last…chance." He spat the word as though he detested it. "Either I destroy them or I am destroyed myself."

Bane nodded as though entirely unsurprised. Smirking as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she turned and sauntered towards the stone arch. "Well, we'd best be off then, wouldn't you say?"

Venton's eyes widened in rare surprise. "We?"

Bane nodded silently, amused at his expression.

"On whose authority…?"

She grinned, revealing unnaturally sharp eyeteeth, jutting forward slightly like fangs. "Trigon's, of course."

* * *

To Robin's dismay, the next time he could feel his limbs, he was standing in the middle of a hospital lobby, surrounded by crying toddlers, coughing adults and anxious parents. To put it plainly, he was in the middle of a crowd of people in his _pajamas_, fuzzy slippers and all. His mouth dropped open in horror as his face matched his footgear.

Raven took littleor no notice of his distress, merely pushed and shoved her way through the crowded lobby and up to the front desk, her hand still firmly around his wrist. "I'm looking for…uh…Missy?" she said, starting strong but ending in uncertainty. The woman nodded in recognition, then directed them to the fifth floor. Thanking her, Raven tugged Robin towards the elevator, which, thankfully, was empty.

Boy Wonder at last found his voice. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? What are we doing here in the middle of the night! I'm not even dressed for pity's sake!"

Raven waited calmly until he was done fuming, then said in mock surprise, "Oh, that's right, you aren't dressed. I forgot."

He growled and glared at her, tugging on his t-shirt and attempting to tame his wild hair. "Not funny."

Raven remained silent as the elevator shuddered to a halt, letting them out with a small ding. A flurry of movement and sound accosted them as they stepped out onto the bustling corridor; not one of the people running by stopped to give them a second glance. The empath seemed undaunted, however, and merely dragged Robin through the crowd, her head swiveling from side to side as though calmly searching out a face in the sea of patients and doctors alike. It wasn't long before she appeared to have found it.

"It didn't work."

The woman froze in her tracks, turning to face them with a somewhat strained smile. "What can I do for you, dearies?" she asked, tucking a wild strand of mouse-brown hair behind her ear.

Raven sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "You did something wrong. He's remembering. What did you do?"

The nurse seemed unperturbed, though slightly confused. "What's that, dear?" She shook her head, glancing over her shoulder as someone shouted an order at her. "I'm afraid that I can'thelp you unless you have some sort of physical ailment…?" She trailed off, looking Robin up and down as though taking in every aspect of his appearance. The boy wonder shivered slightly. Those brown eyes semed eerily familiar.

Raven planted herself in front of the poor nurse and folded her arms stubbornly. "I have a stomach ache."

Robin stared questioningly at Raven, wondering what insanity had crept into her brain to make her attack some poor nurse in the AM hours. He opened his mouth to apologize for her strange behavior, but cut off in surprise.

The woman bit her lip slightly, glancing around the hallway…then she took them each by the shoulder and bustled them into an empty hospital room, shutting the door firmly behind her and pulling the curtain across the window. Turning to Raven, she said, in a very professional manner, "Now, what seems to be the trouble?"

Raven sighed. "The _trouble_ is that whatever you did to him didn't work. He's remembering…and painfully at that."

Robin glanced from Raven to the nurse, getting the distinct impression that he was missing something here. He also was pretty sure that Raven was talking about him, as though he wasn't standing barely a foot away from her. Losing all the patience he had at five in the morning in a hospital in sparse clothing, he snapped, "Would someone please explain what the hell is going on?"

Raven whirled on him impatiently. "I already explained it to you. Use your brain."

The nurse, "Missy" as Raven had called her, intervened before Robin could say another word. "Sh, I'm sorry dear. It was wrong not to tell you what happened…I misjudged the situation as I so often do. If you will give me a moment of your time, I will try to explain."

* * *

_Yeah…kind of a bad place to stop, but I needed to end with a cliffhanger so I'd know where to go with the next chapter. That was probably part of my problem before. Please review, I'll do my best to update more quickly. -Dusty_


	4. No Tunnel Light

_HaHA! We've done it old fellow! Yes, I'm updating, and cars don't fly yet! I feel good. Sorry, should have clarified before; Bane is a new character, the first of many, although the story will most likely focus on her and Venton, when it comes to the demon half (and Missy of course). Just try to follow here, it might be kinda nuts. Shut up and read!

* * *

_

Raven chose this opportunity to sit down on an annoyingly floral chair, a barely audible sigh escaping her. Of course, she'd sooner die than show it, but she was extremely tired. She had been extremely tired for months now.

Missy gazed around the room as though looking for inspiration before turning to Robin, who had a nervous smile on his face, the kind that generally means you're about to lose your lunch or pass out. He was hoping it would be neither.

"I trust that Raven has explained most of the situation to you?"

Raven nodded firmly, but Robin seemed uncertain. Somehow he had lost that firm conviction in the truth of her words that had come barely an hour before. "Yeah…I suppose."

Raven rolled her eyes in frustration, but Missy seemed unsurprised. "True, it does sound ridiculous doesn't it? The sad part is that it's all true." She shook her head, the brown of her eyes seeming to shift into darker tones, though never turning black. "Venton _did_ possess you, and you nearly…excuse me, you _did_ lose your life. A conscious choice on your part allowed me to create a form of 'second chance'. The success of it depended on one gravely important thing."

Silence echoed through the room as the thick doors and walls were put to the test, entirely blocking out the noise of the corridor just outside. Robin caught himself wringing his hands and immediately stopped, beginning to feel a definite passing out vibe.

After what seemed far too long for comfort, Missy continued. "I had to make sure you didn't remember any of it. Remembering would be your undoing, no matter how hard I tried to heal you. A human _cannot_ survive such an encounter with a demon; if by some miracle they are left alive, the memory of their torture alone will slowly destroy their mind and body until not even a heartbeat remains. The taint of the demon will linger, a mark forever instilled that _cannot _be erased. Death is inevitable."

Raven rose from her chair, amethyst eyes wide and face starkly white as horror coursed through her veins. _No…_

Robin remained silent, his fists clenched and his mouth firmly closed.

A small sigh escaped the wispy little nurse, her eyes fixed on the ground, breaking Robin's gaze for the first time. "For this reason, I did everything I could to bury the memories for you. Only bury them; a memory can never truly be erased, merely pushed from the forefront of your thoughts. I had hoped against hope that I would be successful, but…" A glistening teardrop escaped and rolled silently down her cheek, the embodiment of perfection in sorrow. "I'm sorry."

"No!"

Robin jumped, his masked eyes darting towards Raven, shocked to see the angry spots of color on her pale cheeks. He had rarely seen Raven so angry before…or was it fear that distorted her face and glazed her eyes?

"It's not true! Not one, not _one _of my books said a _word _about any such thing! You're wrong, he's fine! He'll be fine!" The empathy was shaking, her tiny white fists clenched at her sides as electricity crackled and spread in waves from her being. "Robin is _fine_!"

Missy shook her head, her gaze firmly focused on Raven. "No, he is not. You have to face this now, Raven—"

"No!"

"—before too much time passes. I did everything that I could; if he's remembering, it's only a matter of time until—"

"Stop!"

"Until the effects destroy him!"

Raven's eyes widened as the words echoed through the room, rebounding off the immaculate walls and assaulting her ears over and over again. The red faded from her cheeks, replaced with a ghostly white. Her fists relaxed, fingers hanging limply at her sides as tears gathered, threatening to spill over.

**Silence.**

The next sound was the last thing that anyone expected. Robin laughed, shaking his head and backing away slowly, masked eyes wide and face pale. "You're insane. Both of you…completely insane—" He broke off to gasp for breath through his wheezing laughter. "Killed by a memory…bull. Complete bull. I suggest you—completely psychotic—couldn't possibly—" He broke off, a sickly smile still plastered to his face, though it was fast fading as his gaze darted from one deadly serious expression to another. He stumbled slightly, fumbling for the doorknob with his eyes still fixed on Raven. In a flash it was open, and he disappeared into the sea of people outside the room.

Raven raced for the door, her hand outstretched to catch him although he was already gone. "Robin, wait!"

Missy grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back gently. "Leave him for a moment…he just needs some time. He has to understand it in his own mind before he talks to you." She sighed sadly, turning Raven to face her. "It's his nature, dear."

Raven darted a desperate glance towards the door, then sighed, giving in to the request. "How…how long does he…?"

Missy sighed, sorrow reflected in her deep brown eyes. "It is indefinite…he could have as long as a year, or as little as a month. It all depends on him…and how badly he wants to remember."

"What do you mean?" growled Raven. "He doesn't want to remember! Why would he want to remember something that will kill him?"

"That may be the case, for his conscious self. But for his subconscious…for his soul, it is not. He feels a need to _know_, to learn from his mistakes and never allow the same pain to happen twice. Inside, he believes that these memories _must_ be brought to the surface…his soul, his mind, and his body will never stop fighting until they are." Missy placed a gentle hand on Raven's shoulder, her eyes almost pleading. "Nothing can be done."

Raven jerked away from her, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me?" she yelled, shaking with the force of her anger and loss. "If you had told me before…Why didn't you just let him die? Why did you condemn him to this suffering? Now everything that happens will be my fault! _Why did you bring him back_?"

Missy's face grew solemn, her eyes becoming diamond hard and even reproachful. "_Do Not_ consider Robin dead. _Do Not_ consider his life over, and his purpose eliminated. This fight is far from ended." Having said all that she was willing to at the moment, Missy turned and bustled from the room, leaving Raven staring blankly at an empty white room.

* * *

Robin ran flat out, his head beginning to pound as his feet stumbled, sending him knocking into random individuals. He hardly even noticed, just kept running, breathing hard and heart thumping madly. Shoving open the lobby door, he gasped as the cold air hit him in the face.

The rain fell like tiny needles of ice, hitting his face, his arms, his head…a stumble sent him crashing to the cold wet ground, pain shooting through his knee and outstretched palm as concrete bit into his flesh. Gasping for air, he tugged off the slippers and struggled to his feet, doing everything in his power simply to keep running. He had to run…run as long and as hard as he could. Run from the truth…

_It was many and many a year ago…_

_"You're the one my father's been tracking. The vigilante."_

The pain increased, throbbing, beating wildly in his head, like a monster pounding to come out. Why is this happening to me?

_In a kingdom by the sea_

_"Oh would you look at that?"_

_--maiden she lived—love and be loved—_

_"A target."_

Robin clutched his head in anguish, the throbbing sending bursts of light dancing before his eyes. He was no longer running…he wasn't sure if he was even standing any more. Stop…make it stop…

_But we loved with a love that was more than love_

_"I hate—this little reunion—think it's time—go."_

_--my Annabel Lee_

_"Break, damn you!"_

_Shut her up—kingdom—angels—_

"STOP!" he screamed, but hardly even heard himself as searing pain spread throughout his body, lighting every vein on fire. "PLEASE STOP!"

"_Oh no. You aren't dead…but you're going to wish you were before I'm through with you."_

_Robin struggled to lift his head, but found that his muscles had been turned to jello. All he could see was a pair of feet, covered in leather boots, artistically ripped and shredded to the point of being ragbag rejects. This did nothing to ease his mind._

"_To be quite honest, I pity you, Rob. That must hurt like hell, eh?"_

Hell…

"_See you in Hell."_

Tears streamed freely down his face as Robin slowly sank to the ground, his head in his hands, his mind a blur of memories and pain. Amidst the horror and confusion, one thought was his own. It rang throughout every part of him, numbing and killing every ounce of fight he had left…maybe he would never get it back.

"I'm dying."

* * *

_Um…yeah mean chapter. With all those flashbacks, I wanted to achieve a very choppy confused quality…I could hear how it sounded in my head; hopefully I conveyed it well in words. This is mostly just a linking chapter…the next one should be getting into the major plot. Review please. -Dusty_


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